“It was delightful,” said Jones, a volunteer who helps handicapped children at the Jeffrey Foundation. “What I like about it is they hired the youngsters. It’s nice to see their smiles. The service was excellent.”

But one volunteer was singled out and given a “Spirit of Philanthropy” plaque for her service.

Allie Seigel, 30, created a Web site that documents her daily philanthropic activities. She was honored for her service – and fed a free hamburger.

Seigel’s Web site, www.365DaysofGoodness.com, describes her goal of doing a good deed each day of the year. She has cleaned beaches, participated in beautification projects, volunteered at schools, and helped rescue animals, among other things.

“It was my New Year’s resolution to do something nice every day of the year,” said Seigel, explaining how she switched career goals from acting to philanthropy and blogging. “It started as a personal challenge.

“People are very willing to give, to help out more than we realize.”

Simms’ family has a long history in the restaurant business. His grandfather opened The Kettle in Manhattan Beach about 32 years ago, and his father started the Mimi’s Cafe chain of restaurants soon after.

Chris Simms, his brother, opened the Lazy Dog Cafe restaurants about five years ago, and locations have since opened across Los Angeles and Orange counties. The Simms brothers jointly opened Simmzy’s Pub in Manhattan Beach earlier this year.

Usually, friends and family members are invited to pre-opening test runs at new restaurants, Mike Simms said. He has invited members of volunteer organizations to pre-openings before, but never on this scale.

On Friday, he mingled with diners who praised the free meals and promised return visits.

“I think it’s going great,” he said. “The chef has been seamless in the kitchen and the staff is getting used to the rhythm.”

Sandy Mazza is a freelancer. She previously worked for Southern California News Group as a city reporter covering Carson and Hawthorne and specializing in features about Los Angeles' growing Silicon Beach tech, bioscience, and aerospace sectors.